The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) broke ground on Friday, September 28, 2012 for the Mission/Warren Area Improvements Project (MW Project) that features key safety and mobility enhancements in the City of Fremont and infrastructure upgrades to make way for the BART Silicon Valley Berryessa Extension.

The MW Project will widen Mission Boulevard (State Route 262) to six lanes between Interstate-880 and Warm Springs Boulevard; construct Kato Road on/off ramps to Mission Boulevard; lower Warren Avenue to separate it from Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) tracks and future BART tracks; and install two new UPRR bridges, two BART bridges and one maintenance bridge over both Mission Boulevard and Warren Avenue.

"These important improvements in Fremont will benefit the community by expanding mobility in Alameda County, improving transportation infrastructure and preparing the current railroad corridor for BART Silicon Valley," said Santa Clara County Supervisor and VTA Board Chairman Ken Yeager.

"Planned pedestrian and automobile improvements on Warren Avenue and Mission Boulevard will reduce congestion and aid generations of residents and businesses in southern Fremont for decades," added City of Fremont Mayor Gus Morrison.

Widening Mission Boulevard will finalize phase two of the reconstructed Mission Boulevard/I-880 interchange project finished by Caltrans in 2009, completing the six lane roadway between I-880 and I-680 - a key access corridor between both interstate freeways.

Depressing Warren Avenue beneath both UPRR and future BART tracks is required to deliver a full-grade separated BART extension. When complete, Warren Avenue will have new pedestrian sidewalks (not currently present) and striped bike lanes.

This project is a joint effort by the City of Fremont, the Alameda County Transportation Commission, Caltrans and VTA. In June 2012, RGW Construction, Inc. was awarded a $45M construction contract. Total project cost is $151M funded by a combination of federal, state and local sources. The MW project received $9.6M in State Proposition 1B funds while an impressive $14 billion in Prop. 1B money has been distributed to projects statewide. The City of Fremont and both Alameda and Santa Clara Counties will make up 85 percent of the total cost for the Mission/Warren Improvements slated for completion in early 2015.

"BART Silicon Valley and the Mission Warren Area Improvements are examples of our communities having vision and determination. Once again, we say "thank you" to the Santa Clara County and Alameda County residents who voted to fund these important, job-creating projects," states Silicon Valley Congressman Mike Honda.